


Deep Trouble

by Writer_Geekgirl



Series: Castiel and Dean: A Love Story [15]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-20 14:36:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12434865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writer_Geekgirl/pseuds/Writer_Geekgirl
Summary: During a hunt, Castiel must make the difficult decision of either saving Sam or saving Dean. He cannot save both. How can he possibly choose?





	Deep Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place in the same universe as the other stories in the Castiel and Dean: A Love Story series.
> 
> This story was written in response to the prompt word: deep.

Dean was running through the forest, the breath of the hellhound hot on his back. Dean yelled, "Cas!" 

"I'm coming, Dean!" Castiel called back, in his deep, gravelly voice.

Dean started running in the direction of the voice. Dean could hear Sam starting to scream in pain in the same direction. 

Castiel yelled, "Don't come this way, Dean. It's a trap."

Dean ignored the warning and ran into a clearing where a woman with raven hair in a long dark dress stood facing Castiel. Ten feet separated the two. Castiel had his angel blade in hand and was glaring at the woman but stood motionless, surrounded in a circle of holy fire.

Sam was lying on the ground, his arm bleeding. Dean could see the steam of a hellhound's breath in Sam's face. Sam's face was distorted in pain.

Dean paused for just a second, but that was long enough for the hellhound behind him to slam into his back. The hellhound pinned him facedown, drooling on the base of Dean's neck.

Castiel stopped staring at the woman for a moment to glanced at Dean with a panicked expression. He then faced the woman again.

"What do you want?" Castiel snarled at the woman.

"For you to make a choice. You can save one of them. Which one do you save? "

Castiel glanced over at Sam, who was barely conscious. He had already lost a lot of blood.

"Why do you want me to choose? What is in it for you?"

The woman gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Her pale skin was in stark contrast to her raven hair and dress. "You always chose the Winchesters over Heaven. I want to know if you had to choose a Winchester, which one would it be?"

Castiel glanced at Sam again. Sam had managed to use his other hand to apply pressure to staunch the flow of blood. The hellhound was still standing above him, apparently waiting for the woman to give a command.

"What if I cannot choose between them? I love them both."

The woman grinned slowly. "Then, you'll lose both."

Dean yelled, "Choose Sam, Cas." More drool soaked the back of Dean's neck as the hellhound's face came closer.

Castiel met her eyes, "What if I kill myself and you let both of them live?" He held out his angel blade, pointing it at his chest.

Dean shouted, "No."

The woman said coldly. "Not an option. If you do that, I'll kill both of them. Tick, tock, Castiel. I don't think Sam has much time left on his clock."

Castiel closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Dean. I love you."

"No, Cas, pick Sam."

Castiel opened his eyes and looked at the woman in the face. " I will spend an eternity hunting you down and making you suffer like no being has suffered before, but I choose…." His eyes glowed blue, energy surged around his body, and his wings flared behind him.

At that moment, Sam finished drawing a sigil on the ground in his blood. He put his hand on it and blasted Castiel away.

The woman looked at Sam with narrowed eyes and said in a cool voice. "Why did you do that?"

"To save Cas." Sam said weakly.

"But I was going to spare Castiel. I was only going to kill either you or Dean."

"You making Cas decide which one of us live would kill him. Now, you can kill the two of us." Sam wheezed slightly, as his breath was becoming more labored.

Dean's eyes met Sam's. Dean looked at the woman, "Go ahead and kill us, bitch."

"What curious creatures you are. Each willing to die to save the other." She snapped her fingers. Dean no longer felt the weight of the hellhound on his back. He jumped up and made a beeline for the woman. She made a gesture with her hand and flung Dean in Sam's direction. "You should help your brother."

Dean scrambled to Sam. He took off his coat and ripped his t-shirt to wrap the lacerations on Sam's arm and stop the bleeding.

Dean turned to the woman, "Why did you do this?"

"My name is Ishtar. I have tested many with this challenge. Most often the people will beg for the chooser to pick them to be saved. Once in a while, the chooser will offer to kill himself to save the others. This is the only time in my long history did I have all three willing to die in this fashion. A bet made long ago has now been answered. You have beat my challenge."

"What was the bet?"

She smiled at Dean, "That true love existed."

"Like Prince Charming, Snow White, true love?"

She smiled at Dean, as if he were a child. "No, I mean unselfish love, bonds that cannot be broken, each willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. You were willing to give up your life for your brother. You and your brother were willing to give up your lives for the angel. The angel was willing to give up his life for the both of you. The triad was complete. Such love is rare." She smiled at them. "You have passed the challenge. I shall take my leave now." She faded into the night.

Dean's phone rang. Dean glanced at the phone to see Castiel's name as the caller. "Cas?"

"Dean, are you and Sam all right?"

"I've got to get Sam to the hospital, but the woman said something about us passing the test and let us go. Where are you at?"

"I'm near the bunker in Lebanon. I broke another billboard."

"Meet up with us at the hospital in Junction." Dean hung up the phone and helped Sam to his feet. They slowly made their way to the Impala. Dean drove as fast as he safely could to the hospital. After Dean got Sam to the ER, the nurse made Dean wait in the waiting room, while they worked on Sam's arm.

Castiel arrived about an hour later. The ER was backed up, so Dean hadn't heard anything yet. He was sitting tensely in his chair. "Hello, Dean." Castiel sat next to Dean. He put an arm around him and pulled him close.

Sam came walking out of the double-doors leading to the treatment rooms a few minutes later. "A blood transfusion, and a few dozen stitches later, and I'm good as new." Sam was staggering a little bit, but was upright and moving. His arm was in a sling. A nurse was chasing Sam with a clip board.

"Mr. Winchester, we strongly discourage you from checking yourself out."

Dean intervened, "He'll be fine. He's got an angel watching over him."

Castiel and Dean helped Sam back to the Impala. Once Sam was in the Impala, Castiel touched his fingers to Sam's forehead. Immediately, more color returned to Sam's face. Dean said, "Cas, you are just so awesome."

Dean leaned in to Castiel and gave him a quick kiss before sliding behind the steering wheel. Dean turned the key and the Impala started with a roar.

Castiel got into his Firebird and followed Dean back to the bunker. At the bunker, Dean helped Sam get to bed, as Sam staggered in exhaustion. Dean went to his own room and found Castiel sitting on the edge of the bed. He had removed his trench coat and suit jacket, but was sitting on the side of the bed with his face buried in his hands.

Dean entered the room and sat next to him on the bed. He put a finger under Castiel's chin to raise his face and stared into his eyes. "Talk to me, Cas." Tears shimmered in Castiel's eyes.

"I was going to choose to save Sam, Dean. I thought I was going to lose everything."

Dean traced Castiel's face with his forefinger. "That's the choice I wanted you to make, Cas."

Castiel gave him a soulful look. "It wasn't because I wanted to save Sam more. It was because I didn't want you to hate me. If I chose you over Sam, you would have resented and hated me. I could live with you dying more than I could live with you hating me. How could I choose not to pick you?"

"Because you love me. You couldn't choose me because you love me." Dean kissed Castiel. Castiel responded for a moment and then pulled away.

"But I still was going to choose Sam's life over yours."

"Look, Cas, you were given a no-win scenario. Sam had the easier choice. He chose to send you away because he knew he couldn't save me. You would have chosen Sam because you knew that I couldn't live with myself if you had chosen me. It's that simple. Don't overthink it. That was about the deepest trouble we've ever been in, and we all survived. I just wish I could have ganked that bitch." Dean rubbed Castiel's shoulders.

Castiel looked at Dean, "In my position, who would you have chosen?"

Dean shuddered slightly. "I don't know, Cas. You, on the one hand, always have a way of coming back. But my whole job on this earth is to protect Sam. But I can't live without you. I hope I never have to make that choice."

"You are my everything, Dean."

"I love you, Cas."


End file.
